X-ray imaging systems, for example, digital radiography (RAD) systems, mammography systems, computed tomography systems, and the like, generate an image of an object by projecting an X-ray beam towards the object using an X-ray source and capturing the X-ray beam that has passed through the object using an X-ray detector. Recently, X-ray imaging systems generate one or more images of the object based on a dual energy technology. Such dual energy X-ray imaging systems sequentially project two X-ray beams (e.g., a high energy X-ray beam and a low energy X-ray beam) and process the images corresponding to the dual X-ray beams to generate one or more final X-ray images of the object. The exposure parameters (e.g., peak kilovoltage and milliampere second values) that define the X-ray beam generated by the X-ray source are often determined either manually by an operator or by a computing device using, for example, automatic exposure control (AEC) methods.
Manual methods often generate low quality images (e.g., images with low signal to noise ratio), since the determination of exposure parameters is subjective and dependent on, for example, the skill and experience of the operator. This is problematic, especially in dual energy X-ray imaging systems, since the processing of such low quality images leads to the generation of even lower quality or final X-ray images. In some AEC methods, a computing device controls the exposure parameters based on information received from an ionization chamber coupled with the X-ray detector. In some other AEC methods, a computing device controls the exposure parameters based on a preliminary image captured by the X-ray detector using a low dose X-ray beam. The implementation of such AEC methods on current X-ray imaging systems (e.g., mobile RAD systems) is problematic as they either lack the ionization chamber or have X-ray detectors which cause long time delays by wirelessly transmitting the preliminary images to the computing device.
Thus there is a need for an enhanced system and method for determining X-ray exposure parameters.